The present invention relates generally to vehicle doors and end gates and, in particular, to a vehicle end gate assembly for attachment to a vehicle body.
Vehicle end gates are well known. The traditional prior art vehicle end gate is a door extending across the width of the vehicle and hinged at a bottom edge thereof, which can be latched to the sides of the vehicle storage area, such as a pickup box or a vehicle interior, in a vertical position. The end gate is operable to be unlatched to swing from the vertical position to a horizontal position that is approximately coplanar with the interior loading surface of the vehicle storage area to facilitate the loading of cargo into the pickup box or vehicle interior, or to support cargo that is longer than the pickup box or vehicle interior.
Often the items or cargo that are loaded into the pickup box or vehicle interior are heavy or awkward to maneuver into the pickup box or vehicle interior. Traditional prior art end gates do not provide any assistance to the person attempting to maneuver the heavy or awkward items into the vehicle storage area. In addition, prior art end gates, when unlatched in the deployed position, do not provide many areas for releasably securing the items or cargo with rope, bungee cords or the like.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide a vehicle end gate assembly that provides assistance to persons attempting to maneuver cargo or items into the vehicle storage area and to provide a vehicle end gate assembly having a plurality of locations for releasably securing the cargo or items thereto. It is also desirable to increase the functionality of the vehicle end gate assembly in a cost-effective manner.
The present invention concerns a vehicle end gate assembly for attachment to a vehicle body. The assembly includes an end gate body having an interior surface extending between an upper edge and a lower edge. The lower edge of the end gate body is adapted to be hingedly attached to the vehicle body and the interior surface includes at least one recess formed therein at the upper edge. An attachment member is positioned in the at least one recess and is attached to the end gate body for releasably securing items to the end gate body.
Alternatively, the end gate assembly includes a plurality of recesses and a plurality of attachment members each positioned in an associated one of the recesses and attached to the end gate body for releasably securing items to the end gate body.
The interior surface of the vehicle end gate assembly is preferably smooth to allow items or cargo to slide across the interior surface when loading and unloading the items or cargo. The recesses are preferably a plurality of identical scallop-shaped pockets that are formed in the top front edge of the interior surface of the end gate body. Preferably three, four, or five recesses are spaced across the width of the upper edge of the end gate body.
The attachment members are preferably a rod or the like that spans the width of the recess or recesses and defines a gap between the attachment member and the interior surface for releasably securing items to the end gate body, such as with rope or the like. The attachment members are preferably mounted flush with the plane of the interior surface of the end gate body. The attachment member may be enclosed with a roller member, such as a tube that rolls on the handle. These tubes act as rollers to facilitate the loading of the items or cargo over the end of the end gate body. The attachment members may be used as tiedown points to secure cargo, or, for example, could be used as points to which loading ramps could be attached securely.
Alternatively, the attachment members are C-shaped members that are mounted in a recess intermediate the upper edge and lower edge of the end gate body, so that the attachment member does not project above the smooth interior surface of the end gate body. Any number of accessories can be constructed that are adapted to be secured to the interior surface of the end gate body by a combination of tabs which hook under the attachment members and lock into the C-shaped attachment member, such as a workbench used with the end gate body open, a toolbox, a bag holder, or various basket and racks. Alternatively, the attachment members are a rail or any other similar attachment system that is adapted to be positioned in the recess and allow for releasably securing items thereto.
The versatile vehicle end gate assembly according to the present invention can be equipped with a number of features that inexpensively enhance the functionality of the conventional prior art end gate assembly. By easing cargo loading, providing tiedown points that help secure cargo with the end gate body down and making provision for useful accessories, the value of the vehicle to the customer is enhanced at very little cost. The features are simple to understand and use.